Harry Potter and the Slayer Alliance
by screaming-madman
Summary: With vampire activity at an all time high in England Senior Auror Harry Potter is sent on a mission to America to try and figure out what's happened to the Slayer and the Watcher's Council. I haven't decided on which ships, if any, will sail. Story takes place shortly after the end of the Buffy television series.
1. Chapter 1

Authors Note and legalese: First off I do not own any part of the Harry Potter Series or the Buffy stuff either. If I did I would not write about them here, instead I would release this and make a ton of money. Since I don't, you are reading this disclaimer. I will not post it at the beginning of every chapter since I think this probably covers my ass pretty good.

Timeline: This story begins in November of 2003. I have taken into account only the seven books of the Harry Potter series, and the seven seasons of Buffy that appeared on television. I have not read the comics, or watched the Angel stuff (I never really even liked the Angel character to be honest since he was a little too angsty for my tastes). I have also decided to ignore the last chapter of Harry Potter since it will not work with my story. Keep in mind that most of the Harry Potter books took place before most of the Buffy stuff did chronologically. It is generally accepted Harry Potter was born in July 31st, 1980. Buffy Summers would have been born January 19th, 1981. This means that they are roughly the same age, and while Harry was killing Tom Riddle (May 1998), Buffy would have been dealing with an evil Angelus who had once again lost his soul.

Disclaimer: I am not a member of the grammar police brigade. I will occasionally make grammatical errors, and some of them are intentional because I feel that pauses are represented in different way in the English language. Some of them are because this is supposed to be fun, and if I spend all my time correcting grammar mistakes it makes this tedious. I will also take a bit of liberty from time to time with the characters, and if they occasionally seem out of character I will say it's because they have been through things that change people. In addition, my chapters will most likely start out rather short as I tell some of the backstory and get the ball rolling. They will probably get longer as the story progresses. That's enough of that, so let's get on with the story.

Chapter 1

November 2003

Harry Potter was tired. Not just the kind of tired that comes from staying up all night drinking fire whiskey and laughing with your mates, that was child's play. He was the kind of tired that comes from spending three months on the run chasing a wanted fugitive. The kind of tired that makes your brain feel like it's been put through a blender. This is not the ideal frame of mind for an Auror to be in when he's filling out a report. The words all start to run together and form funny patterns on the paper.

Right after the Battle of Hogwarts, the Malfoy family as a whole up and disappeared. After the Ministry began rebuilding and replacing key figures in the government, they started hunting down the remaining Death Eaters. Most came willingly, not wanting to prolong the fight any longer than they had to. Some of them remembered that the last time their so called Master died the ones who went to prison and proclaimed eternal loyalty were rewarded greatly when he returned. Others just realized the inevitability of the situation and wanted to get it over with. What none of them realized was that the new Minister, Kingsley Shacklebolt, wasn't planning on playing around. Since the dementors were no longer guarding the prison it was decided that all persons proven to be an agent of Voldemort would be put to death. Harry had been against the whole thing, but decided to support Kingsley and didn't voice his opposition. They had all been lined up and marched through the veil one evening. It had all been kept pretty quiet in order to keep others from being scared to turn themselves in.

Harry decided to follow his dreams and become an Auror. Since there were so few Aurors left he was put through a rapid training program and a year later was awarded his badge. He was immediately assigned to the team that was in charge of hunting down the remaining Death Eaters and they had managed to catch all but three. They finally caught a break when a ministry employee was on vacation in France and spotted three blonde Englishmen eating breakfast at a small café. Harry was sent to scout the area and discovered that it was indeed the Malfoy's. Draco and Narcissa didn't even put up a fight when he approached them; they simply locked the door to their home and went with the team back to England. Lucius on the other hand was a different story. He went on the run and when Harry finally caught up with him it was a battle to the death.

So here he was the last person in a task force that was no longer needed. Once this report was finished he would be reassigned, and who knows what would happen then. He didn't think he could stand a life of dealing with cauldron dealers that used cheap pewter and petty thieves.

Before he even realized it he finished his report and got up to take it to his superiors. He reported directly to the Head Auror, and man named John Arthur. He had been one of those who quit when it became obvious that Voldemort was pulling the strings at the Ministry, and after it was all over was given the job by Kingsley himself.

His secretary was sitting at her desk when he arrived. "He's expecting you Harry, go ahead and go right in" she told him as he walked past with a smile.

"Harry, it's good to see you. Come on in my boy, have a seat" the Head Auror said as he got up to shake Harry's hand. "It's a shame you weren't able to bring Lucius in alive. It would have been nice to watch him walk through the veil" he said as he took his seat behind the desk.

"You know I never approved of all that rubbish John. I'm glad it went the way it did, not even Malfoy deserves to be marched through that thing. We don't even bloody know what happens to them when they go through there. For all we know they come out on the other end in another dimension or something."

John chuckled when he heard this. The truth is that the Department of Mysteries had spent a lot of time studying the Veil, and that was actually the leading theory they were working with at the moment.

"That's a conversation for another time Harry. I wanted to personally receive this report for two reasons. The first is to inform you that as of the moment you placed that thing in my hand your task force was officially disbanded. I want to be the first to congratulate you on a job well done. I know you sacrificed a lot over the last few years, and believe me when I say that all of us from the Minister down appreciate everything you've done. The second reason was to inform you that, effective immediately, you are reassigned to the newly formed Special Projects Division" he said with a smile on the corners of his lips. The Special Projects Division had been formed a month ago while Harry was out running around Europe. They were a separate branch of the DMLE, with their own Head.

"I don't understand John, I'm an Auror. I was told that they were a separate department."

"They are, and you're still an Auror. You're on loan so to speak. You will still maintain your status as one of us while you work with them. Kingsley wants to fill you in on all the details himself, so you are instructed to report to his office at nine tomorrow morning" as he was finishing his sentence John got up and walked around the desk prompting Harry to come to his feet. This was a generally accepted signal among the Aurors that you were being dismissed. "Do you have any questions Harry?"

"I'm sure they'll all be answered in the morning. To be honest I'm looking forward to crawling in bed."

The two men shook hands and Harry exited the office, smiling once more at the pretty secretary as he walked by. He had seen this woman many times over the years, but for some reason he could never remember her name. She had graduated a couple of years ahead of him and he remembered seeing her around, but they didn't know each other back then. She had red hair though, and that always reminded him of Ginny. Then again, most things reminded him of Ginny.

As he reached the atrium he realized he didn't remember walking there. He walked to the fireplace, deposited the correct amount of powder, and said "Grimmauld Place" as the green flames consumed him and whisked him away to his home.

"Hello Master, it's good to have you back home" Blinkey the house elf said as he brushed off the soot from his clothes after climbing out of the fire. Kreacher had died a few years ago, and since he was gone so often Harry felt it was necessary to find a replacement. He missed the grumpy old elf, but had to admit that the house actually felt like a home since Blinkey arrived. One of the first things she did was remove all of the old and dark objects that Kreacher was so fond of. She even was able to get rid of the screaming portrait of Sirius' mother. It turned out that it had been stuck to the wall with house elf magic, and any elf could have removed it at any time.

"It's good to be home Blinkey. Sorry I was gone for so much longer than I expected, but you know how these things go" she in fact was quite accustomed to Harry being gone for long periods of time.

"Master is too kind, apologizing to a house elf. It's not right Master Harry. I am your servant after all" she replied in perfect English. She had taken it on as a personal mission to make her master understand the role of human house elf relations. Prior to working for Harry she had been the head elf for a large estate and was in charge of teaching the children manners, and etiquette. Her entire household had been wiped out by Death Eaters while she had been out running errands. She was brought to Harry's attention by Hermione after the old elf had reported to the Ministry as no longer having a family to serve.

"You're right Blinkey; I will try to do better in the future. Wake me up tomorrow morning at seven, I have a meeting with Kingsley and don't want to be late" he said as he walked up the stairs to his bedroom. He didn't even bother to shower, he simply got undressed and went straight to bed.


	2. Chapter 2

Author's Note: I find myself unable to stop writing this story. I have a clear outline of where I want the first few chapters to go and quite a bit of time on my hands at the moment. Please don't expect chapters to come out this quickly in the future. This chapter ended up being a lot longer than I originally planned. I'm not plugging for reviews here but it's been a long time since I posted anything and I would sure appreciate any feedback sent my way. Enjoy.

Chapter 2

The next morning came a little too soon for Harry's liking and as he was drying off from his morning shower he heard voices downstairs. Only a few people were able to access the house since he had placed it under the fidelius charm again after the war. He dressed quickly, and after glancing at the clock and seeing that it was almost eight he headed downstairs.

"Honestly Ronald I'm sure he'll be down in a minute, and if you don't stop eating so much their won't be anything left for him when he gets here" he could make out the voice of one of his oldest friends, Hermione Weasley, berating her husband as he entered the kitchen.

"Blinkey always makes extra Hermione, just in case Ron shows up unannounced" he replied as he smiled down on his two friends. Hermione rose from her chair and hugged Harry as Ron looked on with a goofy grin and a mouth full of scrambled eggs. He quickly swallowed then and rose to shake Harry's hand.

"Welcome back mate, Dad told me you'd returned last night but he wouldn't tell me how it went" Ron's father had finally been recognized for all of his long years of service to the Ministry and had been promoted to Senior Undersecretary to the Minister. There was a great deal of talk about him being a shoe in for replacing Kinglsey once this term was up. He had already announced that he would not be running for another.

"Lucius was as slippery as always, the slimy git. He led me on a chase all over Europe before I finally caught up with him. I tried to bring him in but he didn't seem to want to play the game by the rules. In the end it was him or me" Harry ran his hands through his messy black hair as he sat down at the table. Blinkey place a plate in front of him and he began to eat.

"I'm sorry to hear that Harry. That makes three doesn't it" Hermione replied. Harry glared at her and then quickly went back to eating. She knew very well how many people Harry had been forced to kill since he became an Auror. Each one seemed to weigh less and less on his conscience, and that bothered her. The first one had been very difficult. He'd sworn to himself that he would do everything in his power not to kill again after Voldemort, but one of the Lestrange brothers had left him with no choice. Still, it tore at him for months and it was only with Ginny's help that he was able to finally reconcile with the fact that he'd had to do it, if not for his sake than for the sake of her and his unborn child.

Ron could sense the change of mood and decided he'd better say something before an argument broke out. "So what are they going to do with you now that the Death Munchers are all accounted for?"

Harry sighed, grateful for the change of topic. He wasn't in the mood to argue with Hermione this morning. He knew that he should feel something more after killing someone, but he hadn't really let himself feel anything since that night in August three years ago.

"Don't know, John was pretty tight lipped about it. Said something about reassigning me to the Special Projects Division but I don't really know too much about it. I'm supposed to meet with Kingsley this morning to work out the details. I don't like being assigned outside of the Aurors, it doesn't feel right" he said as he finished up with his breakfast and tried to carry the plate over to the sink, only to have it snatched out of his hand by his bossy house elf.

Hermione's face lit up with this news. She was eager to learn more about the new department of the DMLE, and everyone was extremely tight lipped with the information. It seemed the only department more secretive in the whole ministry was the one she worked for. After graduation, she had gone to work in the Department for the Regulation of Magical Creatures. She was determined to take S.P.E.W. to the next level, but after a few months of working in the department she had finally become convinced that granting the small beings their freedom would be a mistake. They had simply become too dependent on wizards to survive with their freedom. She quickly accepted the offer when the Department of Mysteries asked her to join their ranks as an unspeakable. Since then she had taken her vow not to discuss what they were doing with anyone very seriously, and wouldn't even tell Ron what she was doing at work.

"Oh that sounds exciting. To be getting in on the ground floor of a new department would be an excellent opportunity for advancement. Not to mention the ability to help shape the department into what it will one day become. The possibilities are simply…"

"Whoa, Hermione calm down. I don't even know if they want me to become a part of the department or just act as a liaison between them and the Aurors. For all I know I'll spend the rest of my career carrying parchments back and forth like a bloody owl" he said with a lopsided grin. One thing that he had come to love about his friend was her ability to become so excited over the concepts that most people got stressed out over.

"Master Harry, it's time for you to get going if you don't want to be late for your meeting" Blinkey told him as she began rushing them out of her kitchen. The trio got up and began to make their way into the study, where the closest fireplace was located.

"You two can of course make yourselves at home if you like, but I do really need to get going. Don't want to make the minister wait for me, even if it is just Kingsley" Harry said as he grabbed the proper amount of powder and prepared himself for his journey.

"That's alright mate, we should probably get going too. I need to get to the bar early this morning, shipping day and all that. Swing by tonight if you can, tell me all about the meeting" Ron said. After the war Ron had gone to work helping his brother rebuild the joke shop. It was fun but he didn't really have the flare of invention, and would usually end up stocking the shelves and running the register. When Aberforth passed away Ron decided to buy the Hog's Head from Neville who had found himself as the old man's only heir. Neville didn't know what to do with a bar so he was only too happy to sell it to Ron. At first he was uncomfortable borrowing the money from Harry, but once Harry agreed to take ten percent of the profits until the loan was paid off, he quickly jumped on the opportunity. It turned out Ron had a real knack for it, and it was paying off handsomely for both of them.

"I'll see what I can do but I'm still pretty tired. No promises" he said just before kissing Hermione on the cheek and shouting out "Ministry of Magic".

After he arrived in the Atrium he quickly headed up to the minister's office. Along the way he ran into several people whose names he couldn't ever seem to remember wanting to shake his hand and congratulate him on a successful last job with the task force. It seems that word travels quickly when a formerly well regarded pureblood is finally brought to justice. Perhaps now people can finally put the whole thing behind them.

As he approached the minister's office he noticed that he also had a pretty young secretary. He couldn't help but wonder if it was in the job description. "Good morning Harry, the minister is expecting you" she said with a dreamy smile on her face. Great, he thought, another fan girl.

"Good morning Minister" Harry said when he entered the office.

The minister looked up and frowned "How many times do I have to say this Harry. After all we've been through I think you've earned the right to call me Kingsley" He replied in his deep voice.

"I'll tell you the same thing I told you last time Sir, at least once more" he replied with a grin as he noticed the other occupants of the room. Rising from a chair directly in front of the minister's desk was a person he hadn't seen in a long time. Roger Davies looked a great deal the same as he had when he'd been the Captain of the Ravenclaw Quidditch team. The last time Harry could remember seeing him was three years ago when he had quietly left the Auror program to work in another department in the ministry. Harry had always thought the guy was a little too stuffy for his own good but didn't really dislike him. There was some talk about a tragedy at home, but he had never heard anything solid. Roger turned to face Harry, and stuck out his hand.

"Auror Potter, it's been a long time. Congratulations on successfully bringing Lucius Malfoy to justice. The world is a safer place now that he is no longer at large" Davies said as they shook hands.

"Thank you" Harry said after returning the gesture, since he'd really run out of other responses on the way in this morning. To tell the truth he was growing tired of being congratulated for killing a man. It just didn't seem right.

After their greetings were exchanged the minister once again took control of the conversation. "Harry, I would like to introduce you to our other guest this morning, his name is Whistler and he is one of the main reasons we asked you here instead of just having you report directly to your new assignment" he said as he gestured to the man in the corner who gave a slight wave of his hand. Harry was sure he'd never seen this man before, he would remember. There was nothing really remarkable about the way he looked but he definitely felt wrong. Over the years, as his powers began to mature, he had developed many new skills. He no longer required a wand for a large number of spells, he had finally mastered occlumency, and he had the ability to sense the magical aura of a person. This Whistler person was putting off an aura unlike anything he had ever come into contact with.

"Please everyone, have a seat" he said as his secretary placed a tray with tea and biscuits on the desk. After pouring a cup for everyone, she quickly turned and left the office, closing the door behind her. "First off, even though Roger already beat me to it, I want to personally congratulate you on a job well done. You spent more time on that task force than any other Auror, and even though you faced a great deal of personal loss, you saw it through to the end. That's a quality we value a great deal in our people Harry, and I know how to properly show my gratitude. Words can never express how proud I am of the man you've become, so I won't try. Instead let me be the first to congratulate your promotion to Senior Auror, effective immediately" as he finish his sentence he reached into his desk and removed a golden badge. He rose and reached out to hand it to Harry who took it with a complete look of surprise on his face.

"At a risk of coming off a little too sentimental, that was my badge when I was a Senior Auror Harry. I know you will do it proud" he said as he came around the desk and hugged the young man he had come to respect so much since they had first met all those years ago.

Harry couldn't help but get a little misty eyed at the amount of emotion that was being displayed from the normally stern minister. He had always looked up to him, even if he didn't always agree with him. "Thank you Sir, I only hope I can do it justice" he said as he shook hands with Davies again and sat back down.

Kingsley returned to his seat, cleared his throat, and began speaking again "I suppose we should get to the heart of the matter. Roger here was my personal choice as the new head of the Department of Special Projects. His department technically falls under the DMLE, but he reports directly to me. I will let him take over this briefing from here" he said as he leaned back in his chair and took a sip from his cup.

"Thank you Kingsley. Senior Auror Potter, as you know last night you were assigned to my department. What I'm sure you're wondering is what the department does, and what your role in the whole thing will be, am I correct?"

Harry nodded "Yes you are. I'm a little confused as to what use I could possibly be in a department outside of the Auror offices. To be honest, I'm a little worried that you will want me to be some sort of liaison between the departments and if that's the case I should tell you that I am in no way interested. And please call me Harry by the way, that title is a little long winded" he added to try to ease the tension of his previous statement. He didn't want these people to think he was unreasonable.

"Thank you and I insist you call me Roger as well. Rest your fears Harry, I have no intention of wasting your talents with such a position. To tell the truth I had a hard time convincing Kingsley to assign you to me, but I'm confident that you will be appreciative of my efforts once you hear what we are really doing. So confident in fact that I promise to return you right back to the Auror offices if you decide not to be a part of our project" this caught Harry's attention. He was not accustomed to being given a promise that he didn't have to participate in an assignment if he didn't want to. "Before we go any further in this conversation though I must insist that you give us your word that nothing discussed in this office will be repeated with anyone unless they are cleared through myself or Kingsley first" Roger paused waiting for Harry to agree.

"Of course, you have my word" He replied quickly.

"As you are well aware, over the last few years there has been a great deal of activity in the vampire community. I am of course aware of the tragic circumstances surrounding the death of your wife and unborn child. As you may recall I myself was once an Auror but left the department. What you probably do not know is that my wife was also killed by a vampire, and like in your case, we never were able to find the killer and bring it to justice. This is the primary role of our department, assessing and controlling the vampire threat. Tell me Harry, what you know about the Slayer" he asked as he noticed a look of vague recognition cross Harry's face.

"Not much to be honest. I remember fake Moody talking a little about it when he covered vampires in defense against the dark arts. Always a female, only one, loads of strength, and able to pretty much kick a lot of demon ass. There was something about a council and something called a Watcher but that's about all I remember" he replied as he tried to remember what else had been said. He had been a little occupied thinking about other things that year. In fact if he remembered correctly they had discussed this the day before he faced his first challenge.

"Well you certainly have the basics down, which is more than I remembered when we first started in on this project. There is usually only one Slayer, but we received reports from the council a few years ago that due to unforeseeable circumstances, a second slayer had been activated. The ministry and the council have been working together off and on for a long time, and many of the watchers are actually wizards, but I'm getting ahead of myself. Several months ago we noticed a severe increase in vampire activity here in England, and then suddenly we lost all contact with the Council. When we investigated the situation we found that their headquarters had been completely destroyed, and that almost no one survived. We immediately feared that the vampires themselves may have finally decided to team up and get rid of the threat of the council once and for all. Then a few weeks later, we started to get reports of several girls all throughout England suddenly developing unknown abilities that they couldn't control. A couple of weeks ago we sent an agent over to the last known location of the current slayers, and we found Whistler there. We have dealt with him in the past and he gladly provided us with all the information he had. Whistler the floor is yours" Roger said as he sat back and took a deep breath. He didn't realize he had been talking so long.

Harry looked over to Whistler as he began to speak "Alright kid, here's the rub. I keep my ear to the ground in the paranormal world and pretty much stay on top of things. I try to guide things the best I can, and most people think of me as one of the good guys. I get a pretty good read on people too and I almost fell down when you came into the room. The amount of magic coming off you is more than I've felt comin' off a human in a long time. I got a pretty good feeling you sense something off about me too right?" he asked as he looked at Harry.

"Yeah you don't feel right. There's something off about you. I can sense power, but you are definitely not a wizard. I don't mean to be insulting but I would be surprised if you were even human" he said. "You look human, but something just seems wrong."

"I knew you could sense it, good for you kid. You're right I'm not human. What I am isn't really important but I'm not a vampire, and I am old enough to call your old teacher Professor Dumbledore's great, great, great grandfather a kid. Six months ago there were two Slayers, and one of them was in the big house. The other one, Buffy Summers, was living and kicking lots of ass in Sunnydale, California. She can't seem to make up her mind if she wants to be dead or alive but hey, who am I to judge? So a few weeks ago after the council goes kablooey, I decided to check up on things on the hellmouth. There I was driving down the road when all of the sudden from out of nowhere is this giant crater right where Sunnydale used to be. I ask around to some of my old contacts and nobody seems to have the foggiest what happened. All they know is that the Slayer duo seems to be a lot more than two now, and they are all together in Cleveland living like one big happy family for the time being. End of story, cue applause, and thank you I will be here all week…well not really" he said with a grin as he sat down.

Harry just sat there with an unreadable expression of his face. He didn't really understand half of what this man had just said. "Well, that's all very interesting but I'm still waiting for the part that has to do with me" he finally managed to say.

This time it was Kingsley who began to speak "Down to business then. As far as we know there is only one wizard alive who has any knowledge of what happened in Sunnydale, and if it relates to what happened to the council. In a bizarre stroke of coincidence, you happen to be his only remaining family. He is the Son of your Grandmother Potters sister" Kingsley said as he paused to give this a minute to sink in.

"Wait a minute, I was told that I didn't have any wizarding relatives any longer" Harry replied after a moment. If another secret had been kept from him for his own good he was going to really lose his temper.

"Well Harry in a way that's true. You see this particular wizard was kicked out of the wizarding world in the seventies. After he graduated Hogwarts, Ravenclaw by the way, he was informed by his father that he was destined to become a watcher. He had other plans for his life and went through a bit of a rebellious streak. As these things go he fell in with the wrong crowd, and started dabbling with dark magic. He conjured a demon, off all things, and had his wand confiscated. His father pulled some strings and instead of snapping the thing it was locked up in the ministry for a period of ten years. After that time he would then be permitted to apply to get it back. From what we understand he later embraced the whole watcher lifestyle and never looked back" Kingsley replied to Harry's question, hoping to avoid an explosion from the still temperamental Senior Auror.

"Makes sense, so what do you want me to do?"

Kingsley again reached into his desk removed a long narrow box that Harry immediately recognized as being a wand box. He handed it to Roger who began to speak "You first assignment is fairly straightforward. So far all of our attempts to make contact with this former wizard have proven unfruitful. We are hoping to take advantage of your familial connection, in the form of you returning his wand to him. If you are able to get his to accept we would like you to find out whatever you can about the situation" he said and waited for Harry to reply.

"Are you asking me to try to trick information out of one of my only living relatives?" Harry asked with a slightly shocked expression on his face. This was not at all what he was expecting. During this whole story he had found himself growing more and more intrigued with the situation, but this could be a deal breaker.

"Not at all" Replied Kingsley. "We expect you to be totally honest about your goals and why you are there. The fact is Harry we need these people. Right now the vampire threat here in England is a lot worse than we are admitting to the public. We need his help if we are going to get a handle on this, and we need the help of the slayer. We need to find out what happened to the council, and if he's the only remaining watcher what does he need us to do in order to help him rebuild the order" he said, much to Harry's relief.

"Fine, I'm in. When do I leave and what's this long lost relative of mines name?"

"We need you to get on this as soon as possible, tomorrow morning in fact. We have already arranged an international portkey that will take you to a park in Cleveland. Once he's there you should be able to use his wand to find him. His name is Rupert Giles."


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Harry sat in the study at his house, eagerly reading all the information the ministry had provided him about Rupert Giles, Buffy Summers, and Faith Lehane. As expected Giles' file was considerable larger so he was saving it for last.

He started with Faith since her file held the least information. She was roughly his age, and had been born in Boston. Rough childhood, trust issues, several watchers, and a general sob story that a guy with Harry's experiences wasn't overly sympathetic to. Life sucks, deal with it. It was the next entry that caught his eye with a simple phrase, rogue slayer. That was interesting; it seems that for a while she had gone to work for one of the demons that were threatening to raise all kinds of nastiness there in Sunnydale. The council had sent people to capture her, but they were unsuccessful for some reason or another and she had ended up in prison. She was currently suspected of being with Buffy and Giles. Not much, but more than he expected.

Buffy's file was almost as thin and also contained only the basic facts of the situation. Like Faith she was roughly his age, but she was a California girl. Born in L.A. she had to leave when vampires attacked the school she was attending, leading to her first watchers death. Her family, minus the father, moved to Sunnydale where she was assigned to Rupert Giles. It goes on to mention the assistance of several civilians, but it is unclear on what they do to help the slayer. When her Mother passed away she took over the responsibility of raising her sister Dawn. The interesting part about this file for Harry was the two names that he recognized from History of Magic: Angelus, and William the Bloody. Apparently this slayer must have lips of gold, since she has the ability to tame wild vampires. He laughed to himself as he thought she either stakes them or falls in love with them. This could pose a problem, and it threw an unexpected twist at the situation. Both of these vampires were on the ministry's kill list.

Closing that file he turned to the thickest of the three. Rupert Giles, born 1955 in London to a member of the Watchers Council named Robert Giles and a witch named Jessica Barton. Attended Hogwarts as a Ravenclaw and graduated at the top of his class. After graduation he decided to further his education by attending Oxford University but dropped out after only two years. He then fell in with a rough crowd and began experimenting with the dark arts, calling forth the demon Eyghon and leading to the death of one of his friends. This incident led to the ministry confiscating his want for a period of ten years, to be returned after he had proven himself a productive member of society. During this time he accepted his role and began training to become a watcher. He never came back for his wand and there is no record of him having any further contact with the wizarding world.

Harry leaned back and closed his eyes. He was trying very hard not to get excited at the prospect of having a living, magical relative. Sure the Potter's were distantly related to half the pureblood families in England, but this Giles fellow would be a first cousin. He'd probably even known his father as a child.

"Master Harry, your trunk is packed and ready to be shrunk at your convenience. I left out your favorite coat and hat, unsure if you wanted to wear them or not" for Christmas the year prior Charlie Weasley had sent him a black dragon hide jacket cut into the fashion of a trench coat. It was quite useful, and had saved his ass on several occasions. Since the dragon hide was so thick it was practically impossible to puncture and most spells simply bounced off of it. He usually wore a hat with it when he went out on Auror business, to cover up his scar.

"Brilliant Blinkey thanks. I'll take care of it later. I'll be having dinner at the Weasley's house tonight so don't worry about cooking anything. I shouldn't be too late since I need to get going rather early tomorrow" Harry said as he got up from his chair, gathered the files, and took them to the trunk that had been packed for him. After this was complete he went downstairs to the fireplace and launched himself to the burrow.

As he climbed out of the fire he saw Arthur Weasley sitting in his favorite armchair in the corner. He rose from his seat and approached Harry. "Hello son, it's good to see you" he said as he shook Harry's hand.

"It's good to see you too. Sorry I didn't come over last night, but things are kinda crazy right now."

"Completely understandable, even Molly understood and you know how she can be" he said with a smile. "Now I won't congratulate you on the whole Malfoy thing since I know how you feel about that, but I would like to congratulate you on your promotion. Kingsley stopped me in the hall this morning and told me all about it. Molly and I couldn't be more proud of you."

"Thanks Dad" ever since he'd married Ginny Arthur and Molly insisted he call them Mum and Dad. "It was quite a shock for me. Did you know Kinglsey gave me the badge he'd had as a Senior Auror? I wasn't expecting that at all" He said.

"Well he sort of looks at you as an unofficial protégé. He has great hopes that you'll change your mind about politics. He'd like nothing more than to see you take my place eventually, if I replace him. Don't tell Minerva that though, she has plans for you as well."

"She did mention to me a few months ago that Professor Duncan wanted to retire. She asked me to take his place and I promised her I would consider it" he replied. Professor Duncan had taken over the post of DADA after the school reopened. He was a retired Auror when the war started back up again, and was getting rather old.

"Well you still have plenty of time to make the decision. After your mission to America things in the department should be up and running and you can decide then. You'd better go say hello to Molly and the kids, they're in the kitchen. After dinner I'd like to speak with you out in the shed if you don't mind" Arthur said as he sat back down and picked up his newspaper. Harry headed into the kitchen.

"Hello Mum" he said as he was engulfed in a famous Weasley hug.

"Harry dear, it's so good to see you" Molly said as she released him. She placed her hands on his shoulders and held him at arm's length. "Now let me see, no new scars this time, that's a good sign, and you still have all your arms and legs although all of them are far too skinny. Sit down at the table and we'll take care of that. Dinner's almost ready" she said with a smile on her round face. Harry didn't know what he would do without this woman. She had been such a source of strength for him in the last few years. When Ginny died she took it pretty hard but when she saw what the loss was doing to Harry she snapped out of it and immediately began bringing him back to the land of the living. After dragging him out of a bar one night she had locked him in Grimmauld Place for a week while he sobered up. He was by no means an alcoholic, but he now knew better than to start drinking when you're feeling sorry for yourself.

Harry looked over at the table and noticed several people sitting there already. Ron, Hermione, Percy, and a young woman he didn't recognize were all having an uncomfortable looking conversation about the weather. This must be Percy's latest girlfriend. After the war he had finally started to relax a little and his constant exposure to his brother George had been good for him. It had brought out a sense of humor and relaxed attitude that nobody knew was there. He was currently working in his father's old job as the head of the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts department at the ministry.

"Hi Harry" Ron and Hermione said at the same time while Percy and the young woman beside him stood up. Harry walked over to them and shook Percy's hand.

"Good to see you Harry. Allow me to introduce you to my good friend Gwen Parsley" he said.

Harry turned to Gwen and noticed the familiar reaction that most people had when they first met him. As he approached her to shake her hand he finally realized why she seemed a little out of place, and the reason confused him. "It's a pleasure to meet you. I don't mean to be rude but you're something of a mystery. I can clearly sense that you're not magical, and yet you recognized me when we were introduced" he said as he released her hand. He had learned the hard way over the last few years that it was best to be cautious around new people.

"I'm sorry Harry I keep forgetting that you can do that" Percy said quickly coming to his date's defense. "Gwen's a squib. I met her at St. Mungo's where she was visiting her father."

Good for you Percy, Harry thought as he nodded and sat down. Before the battle Harry wouldn't have believed Percy would ever be interested in a squib.

"It's a pleasure to meet you Harry" she said with a blush. "I grew up hearing the stories of how you defeated You Know Who from your crib as a baby. I know most of that is rubbish now, but I've always wanted to meet you" she said as she sat back down. Harry cringed inside. He couldn't understand why people were still scared to say the word Voldemort. He himself had taken to referring to him as Tom Riddle.

The conversation continued as Arthur joined them and dinner was served. The usual questions were asked about the search for the Malfoy's and what Harry's next move would be. Hermione tried several times to get Harry to talk about his mission in America, but he wouldn't budge and she finally got the idea. She wasn't quite as nosey as she used to be since she started working in the DOM, but she would never shake the need to know everything that was going on around her.

As dinner was finished and the empty plates were being cleared away Harry joined Arthur out in the shed. It was still a mess, filled with more muggle odds and ends than the average flea market. In the corner was an old lawn mower that was in pieces, and Harry would have sworn that there were at least one hundred three prong plugs in a pile on the workbench.

"What did you want to see me about Arthur" he asked with a grin as he leaned against a table towards the center of the shed. He had always found Arthur's fascination with muggle things to be quite endearing.

"Kingsley tells me he's sending you on the mission to Cleveland" he replied as Harry raised his eyebrows. "Don't worry Harry I've been in on the whole thing since it started. I actually recommended you as the deputy department head but Roger felt you would be a bigger asset in the field. Did they tell you anything about Cleveland Harry" he asked as he sat down on a bench on the other side of the table.

"Not much, just that it's where Mr. Giles and the slayers currently are. Is there something I need to know?"

"Do you know what a hell mouth is Harry" Arthur asked his son in law. Harry shook his head to indicate that he didn't know and Arthur began speaking again. "I wouldn't imagine you would. A hell mouth is a portal between this world and other dimensions. Legend has it that most of the pure demons in the world came through these hell mouths before they were closed. I say closed but they're only partially closed. There is only one that we know of that he been completely closed off and it was done by Merlin himself. Every now and then one of them acts up and something tries to open one for some reason or another. The thing is, even though they are closed, they still put out a lot of dark energy. Demons are particularly drawn to them since they can feed off this power and become stronger. This is the reason why slayers tend to gravitate to them as well. A slayers power is also magnified by this energy source. It's nature's way of balancing the scales."

Arthur paused to take a sip from the butterbeer he had brought out with him and Harry seized the moment to ask a question. "This is all quite fascinating Arthur but I fail to see what it has to do with me" he said.

"Harry you have a rather unique gift. The only two wizards in the last century who were able to sense magical auras are you and Albus. Nobody really knows what all of that negative energy will do to someone like you. It might give you a headache, or it might completely overwhelm your senses. For some reason Roger didn't feel it was necessary to warn you of this, but I can't let you walk into this situation without letting you know. We just don't know what's going to happen to you. Promise me that you'll be especially careful on this mission."

"Absolutely Arthur, I promise."

"Good. Now that that's settled, let's get back inside. You need to say goodnight to everyone. Your port key is set to go off at exactly ten in the morning. As you know there is a five hour time difference so that should get you into town a little after five" he said. Travel by port key on the island was instant. When you had an ocean and half a continent to cross, it took about ten minutes.

After Harry said goodbye to everyone and endured another back breaking hug from Molly he went home to prepare for the next day.

The next morning Harry found himself in the ministry receiving his last minute instructions from Roger prior to his departure.

"Now remember, our primary goal is to enlist the help of one of the slayers here in order to determine what is causing the increase in activity. In order to achieve this we are willing to offer whatever assistance Mr. Giles may need in order to assist with the rebuilding of the council. Kinglsey has authorized me to go as far as offering to make it a department here in the ministry or simply to assist with funding. Do you have any questions" he asked.

"Don't worry Roger, I think I understand the mission. I'll call the phone number you gave me at the correct time and report in" Harry said with a lopsided grin. He was trying to remember that Roger had never really conducted any missions while he was an Auror. This one didn't really seem like it would be that bad. They had given him enough American money to live fairly comfortably for a good month in hotels if he needed to.

"Alright then, good luck Harry" he said as he stuck out his hand and shook Harry's. This was the first time he'd had to send out a subordinate on a mission and it made him a little nervous, especially since it was Harry Potter he was sending. If he was known as the man responsible for sending the savior of the wizarding world to his doom, well let's just say there wasn't much of a shot of him finding his way into the minister's office any time soon.

Harry reached out and touched the port key just as it was activating and he was whisked away on his journey. He had done long distance port key travel before, but never anything of this magnitude. After the longest ten minutes of his life he was dropped quite neatly in the middle of a park in Cleveland.

Harry took a minute to soak up his surroundings. He was glad he'd decided to wear his dragon hide jacket because it was definitely starting to get cold here. Not quite as cold as back home but measuring levels of discomfort is usually a waste of time, no matter which is worse, they both suck. He reached inside his jacket and retrieved the wand that had once belonged to Rupert Giles and started the spell that would help him locate the man. "Inveniet Dominum Tuum" he said as he held the wand in the palm of his outstretched hand. He had done this spell several times while he was searching for the missing Death Eaters, but he had never seen it react quite as quickly. The wand instantly spun in his hand and pointed him northwest.

Now that he had a direction he knew that he would be able to locate the wands owner. As he took his first steps he realized that there was something not quite right and began to feel rather queasy. Before he could figure out what was wrong he dropped to his knees and violently began throwing up.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

"What in the name of Merlin's beard was that" harry mumbled to himself as he tried to regain his senses. He was on his hands and knees in the park he had port keyed to, and the nausea was starting to wear off. He had never experienced anything like that before and hoped it was only a symptom of traveling such a long distance.

After another minute of internal debate he decided to try standing again. He moved slowly and found he could stand but the nausea instantly turned into a pounding headache. He looked around to see if there was anyone within eyeshot, finding no one, he took out his trunk and returned it to its normal size. He knew he had an ample supply of painkiller potions and helped himself to one. The vile potion slid down his throat and instantly relieved the headache.

He pulled out Giles wand and tried again. "Inveniet Dominum Tuum" he said and once again the wand quickly pointed the way. As before he felt wave nausea hit him, but this time he was able to avoid spilling the remaining contents of his stomach.

Harry got his bearing and headed off in the direction the wand was pointing him. Naturally he couldn't walk around in a muggle city with the wand in his palm so he continually had to repeat the procedure as he traveled the streets. Each time he performed the spell he would continue to feel less and less nauseous, but it still hit him every time. He would have to make sure to mention it in his report.

He rounded another street corner and after looking around performed the spell to locate Giles once more. After the nausea went away he noticed that the wand was pointing right at the house he was standing in front of. It was a very large house with several windows in the front, a natural wood picket fence, and a brick exterior. From the outside there appeared to be two stories, but the windows in the attic could be a sign that it had been finished into additional bedrooms.

Harry released the latch on the gate and approached the house. The minute he did so he felt as though he was being watched. As he found himself in front of the door it opened and he couldn't help but stare for a moment before he regained his composure. She was much more beautiful in person than he would have imagined from her pictures in the file. She was barely dressed, and what she was wearing looked like it'd been painted on.

After looking him up and down for a second she plastered a fake grin on her face. "Now what would a leather clad wanna be Bogart be doing on my front porch" she asked, obviously referring to his leather trench coat and fedora.

"You must be Faith" he said as he removed his hat.

"Congratulations Skippy, right in one. You on the other hand still haven't answered my question. Why in the hell are you on my porch" she replied, minus the grin and with a heavy layer of sarcasm.

"My name is Harry and I'm looking for Rupert Giles. I was told I could find him here" he replied in the most pleasant voice he could muster. He wasn't sure, but he didn't think he liked this slayer's attitude.

"Hold on a minute, I'll see if he's here" she said as she slammed the door in his face. Were all Americans this rude? He could hear her yelling from the other side of the door "G-Man, there's a stuffy Brit on the porch looking for you."

Harry sighed and looked around the porch. It was one of those wrap around deals that extended the length of the front of the house. As he was about to sit on a bench against the house he noticed the curtains in the window part and saw no less than four teenage girls looking out with curiosity written all over their face. He recognized one of them from the file as Buffy's little sister, Dawn.

The sound of the door opening caught his attention, as well as the distinguished looking older man who walked out. This man was clearly Rupert Giles, and though he had aged quite a bit since his picture had last been updated in his file, he still looked fairly young for his age.

"Can I help you" he asked after taking in Harry's appearance. He immediately recognized the dragon hide material this young man's jacket was made from, and instantly realized that he must be from the wizarding world.

Harry held out his hand, and after a moment's hesitation Giles shook it politely. He had moderate magical power, but nothing out of the ordinary he thought as she said "Yes Sir, I'm a representative of the British Ministry. I was sent here for two reasons and because of certain…statutes…I can't go into detail out here. Would it be alright if we went inside?"

Giles hesitated for a moment, clearly uncomfortable about letting this strange wizard into a house full of slayers in training. Harry noticed this and decided to go ahead and play one of his cards now to try and earn a little trust. He reached into his pocket and retrieved the wand that had been given to him for delivery. He held it out for Giles to see and said "Do you recognize this Mister Giles? I believe it chose you at one time."

Giles eyebrows rose and his eyes got big. "Young man, even though it's been many years since I last held it, I would recognize that particular item anywhere. Please come inside" he said as he opened the door and gestured for his guest to come inside. Once the door had been closed he took Harry's trench coat and hat and hung them on a hook by the door. "Please follow me into the dining room, there's plenty of room in there for us to talk without too many prying ears" he replied as he turned his back on Harry for the first time since they had met. He began walking towards the dining room and gestured for Harry to have a seat at the table.

"Would you care for some tea or something to eat" he asked.

"I could definitely use a cup of tea, thanks" Harry replied as he sat down and placed the wand on the table in front of him, along with his Senior Auror badge, which Giles also recognized.

"Dawn would you please go and get your sister and Willow, and then bring us some tea dear" he asked the young girl standing in the doorway. She simply rolled her eyes and nodded as she left the room muttering something about always being left out.

"While we wait for the others, perhaps you could fill me in on the basics of why you're here…I'm sorry I don't think I caught your name" he said, coming to the realization that this young man had never introduced himself.

This was an important moment for Harry. He'd intentionally not introduced himself earlier knowing that how he reacted to this moment may set the tone for the rest of their discussion. "I'm sorry about that, my name is Senior Auror Harry Potter" he replied, watching the older man's face closely for a reaction.

Giles took another step and looked more closely at the gentleman standing in front of him when the resemblance hit him. How could he not have noticed this before? This young man was the spitting image of James Potter. He took a seat and spent a moment staring at the table before he finally spoke "I see it now, you must be James' son."

"I am" he replied as he watched the conflicting emotions play out on the man he knew to be his cousin's face. He could definitely sense sadness, mixed in with a bit of long forgotten anger, and a healthy dose of shame.

"Are you aware of our family connection Mister Potter" he asked slowly. Harry only nodded in response as two more people entered the room. He was immediately struck again with the feeling of nausea, but it went away as quickly as it came.

"What's up Giles" the first of them asked as she looked across the table at Harry. This must be Buffy, Harry thought to himself. He was beginning to wonder if there was some kind of code stating that in order to be a slayer you had to be drop dead gorgeous. While she would never compare to Faith in pure sex appeal, she had a look that he could only compare to a girl he'd gone to school with named Daphne Greengrass. To put it mildly, she was stunning.

The other woman who entered was obviously the source of his nausea. Her aura was unlike anything he'd ever seen before. He knew she had some kind of power, but he couldn't place it. It intrigued him, but it didn't concern him. Magically there wasn't anyone in the room who could pose a threat to him. Physically, he was sure that Buffy would wipe the floor with him.

Giles looked at his slayer and began the introductions. "Buffy, Willow, I would like you both to meet Harry Potter. He's come here from England on a mission from the government" he said as Harry rose and shook both of their hands. This was where it would get interesting. Harry could sense auras just by looking at someone, but he could get a much better read of their magical levels by touching them. As he shook the slayers hand he could sense very little actual magic, but there was something else there that was extremely powerful. If it was magic, he would compare it in strength to his own. He could tell that she felt something as well, since she took a deep breath as soon as their hands came apart. Next was Willow, and he was simply not prepared for what he felt from her. Her visual aura didn't register any magic at all, but he could feel magic oozing out of her. This was definitely something he would have to ask Giles about later.

"Wow Gilesey, you're really moving up in the world" Willow said with a smile as she sat down. "You've got the Queen sending people over to get your autograph now."

"Hardly" Giles replied with a sigh. "Auror Potter doesn't exactly represent the Queen. He's a dark wizard catcher for the British magical government."

This single sentence caused three very different reactions from the rest of the people in the room. Willow quickly broke the world record for biggest smile at the mention of a magical government. "Cool" she said.

Buffy on the other hand reacted quite a bit more forcefully. She quickly stood up and walked over to the wall, retrieving a sword from what Harry had assumed was a wall ornament.

This reaction created an immediate sense of urgency on Harry's part as he drew his wand, pointed it at Buffy, and actually said out loud "Shit, not again." Lucius had also pulled a sword on him.

Giles, as always, immediately reacted to try and defuse the situation. "Everyone calm down. Buffy, what are you thinking. This young man could knock you through that wall before you came anywhere near him with that sword" he said quickly.

"I'd like to see him try. What's he gonna do throw his pointy stick thing at me" she replied. "I won't let some stuffy Brit come across the ocean and take you away from me. Not now" She said with a mixture of anger and frustration in her voice.

Harry just stared at her down the length of his wand. "I have no intention of taking Mr. Giles into custody Buffy. He's done nothing wrong that I'm aware of."

"Everyone just calm down for a minute. Harry, if you would please lower your wand I'm sure Buffy will put the sword down" he said with desperation in his voice. This was not going well at all.

"If you know anything about me Mr. Giles you know that's not going to happen" he replied with a sense of finality in his voice.

Giles did in fact know quite a bit about his long lost cousin, if the stories could be believed. "I'm afraid I'm going to have to insist Harry. I have no doubt that you would easily defeat Buffy but you must understand that there are currently fourteen slayers staying in this house. You would never defeat them all."

Harry's face quickly betrayed his confusion as he slowly lowered his wand. This allowed the room to relax a bit and Buffy reluctantly handed the sword to her former watcher. "Thanks for the vote of confidence" she said as she leaned against the wall, watching Harry like a hawk.

"Wait a minute, did you say fourteen slayers? She doesn't look like someone whose died thirteen times" Harry said as he sat back down at the table.

Buffy's facial expression quickly changed at what she decided to take as a compliment "Thanks, you don't look dead either."

"Yes well, that's a long story. If everyone would please just have a seat I'm sure we can get down to the bottom of this" Giles said as he took a seat himself. "Senior Auror Potter was just about to explain to us why he's here. Please continue" he said as he gestured for Harry to get on with it before things got out of hand again.

Harry took a deep breath and began speaking. "First, if everyone would just call me Harry this would be a lot easier. Senior Auror Potter takes too long to say" Harry waited until he got an acknowledgement from everyone at the table before he continued. "I'm not here because of anything Mr. Giles has done"

"Please call me Rupert, Harry"

"Thanks, I'm actually here for several reasons. The first is the reason I agreed to come here. Rupert is my cousin. Currently he's the only living magical relative I have left."

"So you came all the way over here for a family reunion" Buffy asked skeptically.

"Not exactly, that's just a bonus. Rupert, how much do they know about the wizarding world" Harry asked as he turned to face his cousin.

"Nothing at all" he quickly replied.

"Hey, I know about magic. Really powerful witch remember" Willow said with a frustrated look on her face. Would Giles ever take her seriously?

"No Willow, what Harry is talking about is something else entirely. You practice a completely separate branch of magic than he does. Your source of power is the earth and the elements. Harry's magic, on the other hand, is a part of him. He doesn't require rituals or offerings to make his magic work. They have a completely separate world…" Giles went on to explain the existence of a magical world that had been there, right under everyone's noses, for thousands of years. There was even a magical community in Cleveland, he told them.

Buffy and Willow listened to Giles rather intently during the discussion. They would occasionally interrupt to ask a question or two but for the most part they were quite accepting of the concept. Harry figured being around the slayer must make you pretty immune to surprise.

Once the discussion was over Harry began speaking again as he placed his hand on the wand that was still sitting on the table. "The primary purpose of my mission is to return this to its proper owner, and to try and retrieve some intelligence about what happened with the council six months ago. One does not depend on the other" Harry said as he handed the wand to Giles.

Giles had an internal debate going on. Part of him wanted to take the wand and snap it. He didn't know if he wanted that kind of responsibility again. The last time he had abused his powers and it had cost him dearly. On the other hand, he knew that if he were a proper wizard again he could be an immense help to Buffy and the others as they tried to gain some type of order out of their current chaos. There was also the fact that he could actually feel his wand calling out to him in his very soul. He slowly reached out and took the wand from Harry's hand. As soon as he touched it a rush of power coursed through his body and he finally felt whole again. When he'd first had his wand taken from him he'd felt as though a part of him was missing. He could only compare it to what a person must feel when they lose an arm or a leg. As time went by he had begun to notice it less and less until he finally quit thinking about it all together. Now he was sure he could never go without it again.

"Thank you Harry" he replied as he tested it out on a flower vase on the table, which promptly exploded.

Harry grinned and waved his hand repairing the vase instantly, causing Giles to look at him with a shocked expression. This man could do wandless magic. He had only ever known of one other wizard who could do that, Professor Dumbledore. Willow could do a lot of things with simple gestures but most wizards required a wand. He would have to keep a close eye on his cousin.

"Take it easy Rupert. I don't have to return to England for a few days still and I'd be more than happy to give you some refreshers so you don't destroy your home" Harry said grinning.

"Okay, everyone slow your roll for a second. I'm sure I speak for Willow as well as myself when I say…huh. Can you use a pointy stick thingy Giles" Buffy asked, speaking for the first time in a while.

"Yes Buffy and it's called a wand. I went to school for seven years, along with Harry's father, to learn how to use my pointy stick thingy. I was quite good at it too, graduated at the top of my class. They took it away from me when we summoned Eyghon."

"I still can't believe you were such a rebel back in the olden days" Willow said with her usual grin before Buffy quickly cut her off.

"He's not like that anymore though Harry. He's all proper and stuffy now" she said coming to the defense of her watcher. Harry couldn't help but smile when she said that. There was something about this woman. As uncertain as he was about Faith, he knew that he would get along famously with Buffy. There was something about her that he couldn't help but like. It didn't hurt that she was extremely easy on the eyes.

Before he could reply Dawn came into the room along with a few other girls who looked to be about her age, and Faith. "Here's that tea you asked for Giles" she said as she placed the tray on the table, blushing as she looked at Harry. She seemed like a nice enough kid, but she was also a mystery. Her aura was also very strong, but completely different than anyone else in the house.

Faith dropped into the chair next to Buffy and looked around the room. "So do we get to beat up on the new guy or what" she asked grinning mischievously at Harry.

"Leave him alone Faith. Harry is a guest here and will be treated with respect" Giles replied, taking off his glasses to clean them with his handkerchief. Everyone understood this as a sign of frustration in the ageing watcher.

"You got it G man. You know me, all respectful and everything" she said with a smile as she turned her attention back to Harry. "So what's your story man? You show up on our door wearing a funny leather jacket and a hat that screams Indiana Jones, and then everybody starts yellin' while I'm trying to train the newbies. Spill it" she said, giving Harry the sultry look she reserved for pretty much every male of the species.

"Harry's a wizard" Willow replied happily before Harry could reply. She was so excited to have other magical people around she could barely keep herself from squealing. She couldn't wait to start asking Giles questions about what he could do.

"He's quite a bit more than just your average wizard from what I've seen so far. That little display of wandless magic puts you in the mage class I believe" Giles said to Harry.

"I'm a lower level mage, but my core is still growing. The ministry people think I will eventually hit sorcerer level" Harry replied. He didn't normally like to talk about his power but for some reason, surrounded by beautiful girls and his long lost cousin, he didn't mind.

"He's also quite famous back home. If the stories I have been hearing are accurate he defeated a very powerful dark wizard a few years ago, ending a rather nasty war" Giles added with a small amount of pride.

"Great he's weird, famous, and cute. B's gonna fall in love with him" Faith said as she threw her boots up on the table and leaned back to watch the fun.

"Hey, that's not fair. I don't fall in love that easy" Buffy huffed and crossed her arms across her chest as all the other girls laughed.

"That's enough Faith" Giles said with a warning tone. Sometimes he felt he would spend the rest of his life acting as a referee between these two. "Now if everyone would give us a moment of privacy we have a lot to discuss. I would appreciate it if we were not disturbed" he added.

Grumbling complaints the girls all got up and shuffled out of the room. Harry couldn't help himself and he let out a short laugh. "You seem to have your hands full here with these girls Rupert. I believe I'd go ruddy mad dealing with this everyday" he said grinning.

Giles couldn't help but smile as he turned back to face Harry "Yes well it can be quite trying at times. But I must admit, it's very rewarding working with slayers" he said with that hint of pride in his voice Harry noticed earlier.

The two men spent the rest of the day, and well into the evening, telling their stories. Harry told Giles the tales of his adventures in Hogwarts and how he, along with his friends, had spent a year on the run and eventually defeated Tom Riddle. He didn't tell him about the horcruxes or about the fact that he had actually died. He briefly talked about getting married to his best friend's sister, and her becoming pregnant shortly after. He mentioned that she died before the child was born but didn't go into detail. Giles was sensitive enough not to ask questions. It was still too painful to talk about. He then told him about his time hunting the remaining Death Eaters. In turn Giles filled Harry in on everything that happened since he'd become a watcher, eventually leading to the tale of how The First and Caleb had declared war on the Council and tried to eliminate the slayers from existence. Once they were finished trading war stories Harry listened greedily as Giles told him stories about their family. He filled Harry in on things he had only dreamed of hearing. Giles told him stories about Harry's grandparents, and what it was like growing up alongside his cousin James.

After what seemed like ages of story swapping, Giles got up and walked over to the cupboard where he kept his stash of scotch. After pouring them both a glass he sat back down. Harry was hesitant at first, but figured if the conversation stayed pleasant and he kept it to only one or two glasses he should be fine.

Giles cleared his throat and took a long swallow of his drink before he continued with a hint of sadness in his voice. "I loved your father as though he was the little brother I never had. After my wand was taken and I resigned myself to becoming a watcher I only visited the wizarding world three more times. The first was to attend the wedding of your parents. James was so proud, and Lilly was one of the most beautiful brides I have ever seen. I remember him chasing her around the castle after he started Hogwarts. She was such a wonderful girl Harry. She had the remarkable ability to bring out the good in everyone around her. I never though he stood a chance but he eventually won her heart. The next time I visited it was to meet you for the first time" Giles said while looking over the tops of his glasses at Harry. He received the look of surprise he expected from Harry at this announcement.

"I didn't know that" Harry replied, taking another swig from his own glass. "Sirius and Remus never mentioned you to me."

"No I don't imagine they would have. They never forgave me for doing the things I'd done after I graduated and they thought I'd gone dark. They felt that James would be better off if he was to cut me out of his life, but James wouldn't hear it. As soon as I received word that you had been born I came to meet you. You were a tiny thing, but right away it was glaringly obvious that you were a Potter. You were born with messy hair" he said as they both laughed. Harry couldn't help but feel a connection with the man who sat swapping stories with him. This man seemed to give so freely of himself, expecting nothing in return.

"My final visit was on the first of November, 1981" he said as Harry instantly recognized the significance of that date. It was the day after his parents were killed and he became the Boy Who Lived.

"I heard of their death through a contact at the council who kept tabs on the wizarding world. I immediately contacted Professor Dumbledore to find out what happened. I was devastated. He comforted me and ensured me that you were quite well and that you would be living with your Aunt. I didn't know much about Lilly's sister but I knew they didn't get along. Dumbledore assured me that it was the safest place for you, since the blood wards he'd set up relied on the protection of your closest living relative. That was clearly your Aunt. After that I received regular reports from my contact on how you were doing once you entered Hogwarts. Once I left for America to become Buffy's watcher I heard less and less until finally one day I was informed that you had defeated Lord Voldemort. That must have been immensely satisfying by the way. I had often dreamed of killing that thing myself. That was the last time anyone ever mentioned you to me" he said.

After finishing his second glass of scotch Harry yawned and looked at the clock on the wall. It was only seven but back home it was after midnight. "Where are my manners" Giles said. "You must be exhausted. You should stay here with us. All of the rooms upstairs are occupied. Most of those even have two sets of bunk beds. The basement on the other hand is set up as a training area. I'm sure it would be no trouble for a mage of your talents to conjure up a bed."

Harry looked relieved at the offer. "If it's not too much trouble that would be brilliant. I'm too tired to try and find a hotel right now."

"Smashing. Tomorrow we can go over a few spells and I can show you what we've accomplished with the girls here" he said as he led Harry to the basement door, passing several young slayers on the way. As they went down the stairs Harry noticed how crude the training area was. There were several scarecrow style fighting dummies lined up on one of the walls. On the other wall there were straw filled targets, set up for throwing knives or shooting a crossbow. Scattered at irregular intervals along the floor were several training mats that were quite worn. Harry promised himself that he would do something about the situation in the morning. It was no trouble really with the help of magic.

Harry took out his wand and transfigured one of the mats into a bed. He then began transfiguring objects into sheets, a pillow, and some blankets. Giles watched with a smile on his face as he began remembering the things that he would now be able to do once again.

"That will come in quite handy around here. Make sure to go over that with me tomorrow" he said thinking of all the money they could have saved setting up this household.

"I'd be happy to."

"Well, I'm sure you'll be up before everyone else in the morning, with the jet lag and all. Feel free to help yourself to anything in the kitchen. Make yourself at home" Giles said as he headed for the stairs. "There is one more thing Harry. As you know we're on a hellmouth. Strange things tend to happen on a hellmouth, and being in slayer central tends to amplify that. Be careful and make sure you have your wand with you at all times. I know vampires may not seem like a terrible threat after what you've been through, but they tend to be much stronger here" he warned.

"Of course. I'll see you in the morning Giles" Harry said as his cousin headed up the stairs. He took off his clothes and climbed into bed, falling into a deep sleep as soon as his head hit the pillow.

AUTHORS NOTE: I know Xander didn't appear in this chapter. He was somewhere…doing something. Rest assured he will be appearing in later chapters.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Harry stood in front of the stove stirring the scrambled eggs he was cooking. As he grabbed a plate to scoop them onto, the toaster popped and delivered two pieces of perfectly toasted white bread. He smiled to himself as he started to butter the toast, something he had only recently begun doing. If Blinkey could see him cooking his own breakfast she would probably keel over dead right there.

He had woken up early, as Giles had predicted. Anyone who has ever traveled across the continents knows how difficult it is for the first few days. The internal clock that we have all developed starts going haywire, and plays tricks on the body. When he woke up it was two thirty in the morning local time, which means it was seven thirty in London.

As he started to fry the bacon, one of the best smells in the world, the back door suddenly opened and startled Harry out of his bacon worshiping. Harry looked at the door and saw Buffy, Faith, and two of the other girls he had not met walk in.

"What do we have here? Looks like Mister Wizard is all domestic girls" Faith said as she shook off the cold. Harry grinned as she grabbed his plate and started eating his eggs and toast.

"I thought I was the only one awake. Would anyone else like something to eat? It's no trouble at all, now that I'm going to have to cook some more anyway" he assured them as he watched Faith devour his breakfast.

Choruses of "I'm starving" and "Yes please" answered his question as he went to the refrigerator and took the eggs back out.

"Wizards cook? I figured you would just get out your pointy stick thing and go all hocus pocus on it or something" Buffy said as she sat down on a stool at the counter facing Harry.

Harry turned to face the blonde slayer as Giles walked into the kitchen and decided to have a little fun. "Some wizards would do that, but I prefer to do things the old fashioned way" he said as he turned to face her and as he crossed his arms across his chest one by one all of the eggs floated into the air and cracked themselves, emptying their contents into the frying pan. Buffy's eyes got big as he snapped his fingers and all of the bacon except for two pieces lifted itself out of the other pan and floated over to drain on a folded paper towel. The remaining two pieces floated over and began hovering in front of Faith until she reached out and grabbed them. Then he grabbed his nose and wiggled it with his fingers as a spatula floated out of the sink and began to stir the eggs.

Buffy rolled her eyes and picked up the large bag she had set by the door. "Now you're just trying to impress us" she said as the two younger slayers stared wide eyed at the breakfast that seemed to be cooking its self.

"Did it work" he asked.

"Maybe. I'm gonna take these downstairs, save me a plate" she said and disappeared into the basement.

"You're gonna make somebody a great wife one day" Faith said, still chewing her food. "You keep this up we may not let you leave. May have to chain you to the stove or something."

"I highly doubt a chain would keep our wizarding friend here against his will" Giles said as he walked over to the teapot and poured himself a cup. After his first sip he turned to address Faith "I heard you return and decided to come down and see how your patrol went. I wasn't expecting such an impressive display of wandless magic" he said as he took a seat at the counter.

"Oh that's not all that impressive. I was able to start moving objects around when I was eighteen. The hard part is the charm I place on the spatula to know exactly when the eggs are done and scoop them out of the pan" Harry replied. "I hope it worked, I've never tried it before" he admitted as the spatula began to scoop out the eggs and put them in a large bowl. Harry grinned and looked back at Giles. "What's this you were saying about a patrol?"

"Vamps my man" Faith replied with her usual mischievous grin. "You didn't thing we sat around here knitting while we wait for an attack did you? You gotta take the fight to them."

This was interesting. Harry thought the slayers were more reactionary, but based on what she was saying they sounded more like hunters. As he was about to start asking questions the basement door opened and Buffy came back into the room. As she reached for a plate she looked over at Harry. "Harry, you wouldn't happen to know what happened down in the basement would you" she asked casually as she began to pick at her food.

"I may have made a slight modification or two. If you don't like it I can always put it back the way it was, or change it around to fit your needs" he replied, looking slightly embarrassed.

"No, it's great. I just don't know how we would explain it if we ever need to sell the house is all" she said casually as she continued eating. On the outside she was the picture of calmness, but inside she was extremely excited.

Giles looked at his slayer with a practiced eye and realized that Harry must have done something more than transfiguring new mats and targets. He rose from his chair and headed down to the basement. A few seconds later his voice could be heard as he called to the top of the stairs. "Harry, would you please come down here for a moment" he asked.

"Oh I gotta see this shit" Faith said as she and the other slayers got up and followed Harry down the stairs. Once they were all in the basement it became obvious what the fuss was all about. It was three or four times the size it had been the previous evening. In one corner there was an assortment of muggle style punching bags that appeared to be brand new, alongside the worn out ones Harry had used as an example. Against the opposite wall was a large mat that must have been twenty feet wide and ran the entire length of the basement. The wall was also covered with a similar mat that appeared to be twice as thick. The wall next to it had been covered with a thick, cork like substance and had ten professional looking archery targets hung on it. There were several other training aids scattered around the room as well, but the really cool thing was that no matter where you went the stairway was never in your way.

"This appears to be another amazing magical display Harry, and I don't mean to sound ungrateful, but Buffy does have a valid point. How could we possible explain a basement that's so much larger than the rest of the house" Giles said after everyone took a moment to look around. The two younger slayers had already begun playfully throwing each other against the walls while Faith and Buffy were unsuccessfully trying to make the staircase position itself in an inconvenient location.

"Sorry, I hadn't really thought about that. I have been living in the wizarding world for so long I didn't even realize it would cause a problem" Harry said looking a little embarrassed. "I could always put it back to rights before I leave, or better yet I could teach you the spell to reverse it. It's much simpler to undo this, than it was to do it."

"The second option seems more practical, now that you've already done this" he replied still looking slightly concerned. "I hope you didn't feel like you had to do this in exchange for your lodging last night."

"It really wasn't that much trouble Giles. It only took me about half an hour this morning. Transfiguration and charms have become a hobby of mine since most combat magic falls into those categories."

"Yes but Harry" Giles began to say before Harry cut him off.

"Like I said if you want me to undo it I gladly will but let me do this for the girls. I know what it's like to try and train for a war, and it's not like it cost me any money. Everything down here was conjured" he said as he ran his hand through his messy hair.

"I thought conjured items weren't permanent" Giles said as he forgot all about the basement in light of an academic mystery.

"Oh they're not, and this stuff will eventually disappear. The thing is that the amount of time they stay depends on the power of the wizard who conjured them."

"How long do your things typically stay?"

Harry grinned a little, feeling slightly embarrassed at having to reveal this information "Well, I conjured this really comfortable chair about three years ago that I didn't have the heart to vanish. It's still in Sirius' old bedroom."

Faith and Buffy finally gave up on the staircase and walked back over to Giles and Harry. Faith stood next to Harry, and throwing an arm over his shoulder said "Can we keep him G man? If he keeps this up he just may eventually work his way into impressing me" she said with a smile and a wink in Harry's direction.

Buffy also looked pleased but she was thinking about something else entirely as she went into full leadership mode. "This is great Harry. I'd have had to serve a million burgers to afford this setup. I don't want to impose but I got a lot of cash going out and nothing coming back. Any more cool tricks that you're storing up your sleeve would be awesome."

"I'd be happy to do whatever I can but I will need something in return" Harry said to the perky blonde slayer.

Great, Buffy thought, nothing comes without a price. She was about to object when Harry cut her off with his demands "Don't worry, it's nothing outrageous. I want to go with you on your next patrol. We have serious vampire problems in England and anything I can pick up from a slayer would give me something to report back to my superiors. Besides, I'm sure I can be of assistance. I'm pretty good with my pointy stick thingy."

"I don't know Harry. You're obviously good with breakfast and interior decorating, but that doesn't say anything about how you would handle yourself against a vampire" she replied as Faith rolled her eyes.

"Lighten up B. You heard Giles talkin' about how he whooped up on some dark lord or something back in the motherland. Let's give him a chance" she said as she started to walk up the stairs. Harry fought a desperate internal battle not to watch her walk away. This was not like him at all. Being in a house full of attractive women was beginning to become a distraction. "I'm gonna go take a shower and catch some Z's. See ya on patrol tonight Harry" she said as she topped the stairs and disappeared from view.

"Well, who am I to argue with such logic" Buffy said rolling her eyes. "Come on girls, Faith the wise has spoken. Let's get cleaned up and go to bed" she said clapping her hands with authority. It was clear that she was in charge here, but she was also reluctantly sharing that voice of authority with Faith. It made for a very interesting dynamic as far as Harry could tell.

"Yes, I believe I'll return to bed as well" Giles said as the girls headed for the stairwell. "Can I trust I won't find the entire dimensions of this house at a much grander scale in the morning Harry" he asked with a combination of humor and seriousness.

"I can't make any promises but I'll give it a very honest attempt" Harry replied with a mocking expression on his face as Giles left the basement.

Just as he was thinking to himself that he had better undue the modifications he'd made to the downstairs bathroom he heard Faith yelling from upstairs "No way, this is too damned cool man."

Author's Note: I know this chapter was short and didn't really accomplish anything, but it sets the stage for the next two chapters. Harry will get a chance to see the slayers in action, and show them how handy a wand can be in a fight.

I'm really starting to lean towards a Harry / Faith pairing on this story. If you can't tell I find her quite entertaining to write, but I can't seem to get comfortable with Buffy. For some reason she's difficult for me to get a grasp on, and unless she starts to flow better…..There will be a lot of Harry / Buffy interaction in the coming chapters so perhaps the idea will grow on me. Let me know what you think.

I am floored with the amount of support I have been getting on this story. At the time I post this there are 100 followers of this thing, and more and more are added every day. I appreciate the support and hope all of you follow it through until the end. Please keep giving me the feedback, it motivates me.

Finally, I really don't want to get into a full on geek fight with anyone about slayers easily defeating Harry, or about Willow being the most powerful being in the cosmos. I receive a large number of PM's from people who think Willow is the most powerful being ever created, and that Buffy would destroy Harry in every single conceivable situation with absolutely no exceptions at all….ever. For the sake of my story, Harry is more powerful than Willow. For the sake of my story, Harry and the slayers have countering strengths that will end up complementing each other. Now kick back, relax, and enjoy.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

"Oomph" was the only noise that came out of Harry Potter as he landed flat on his back for the fourth time in the last five minutes. In response to his request to go out on patrol with the slayers that evening Buffy had decided to test his skills. At first Harry was glad for the chance to show these people that he could hold his own in a fight. Once Buffy made it clear that he couldn't use any "Hocus pocus" he began to see the real purpose behind the entire thing. He was being put in his place.

Buffy looked down at him as he lay there trying to catch his breath with a satisfied smile. "So, oh great savior of the wizarding world, do you still feel like you're ready" she asked.

"Look," he said as he once again got to his feet "I get the point. I completely agree that you can kick my arse in a hand to hand fight. I've only had a little training, and you're clearly an expert. What I don't understand is why you won't acknowledge that my other skills make up for it. Let me use some magic and show you what I can really do." His tone was clearly betraying his desire not to let her see his frustration. You can only get the wind knocked out of you so many times.

"If you think that's what this is about then you don't get the point Harry. Well, maybe a little bit. It is traditional for Americans to enjoy kicking British ass." Harry rolled his eyes at this, would the Americans ever got over that. Buffy continued "What this is about is me trying to make you understand that you can't always rely on your magic. What do you think, some vamp is just gonna stand in front of you and challenge you to a duel. Back to back, ten paces and all that nonsense. They jump out at you from behind cover and take your ass down. It's mostly hand to hand Harry."

"I'm not trying to argue the point, you're the expert here. All I'm trying to say is that magic, used properly, is useful in hand to hand combat. I have already shown you that I don't need my wand for a lot of what I can do. Let's try it again, but this time I can use wandless magic, and see how you feel about it then" he proposed with irritation in his voice.

Buffy was about to object when Giles decided this was a good time to intervene. "Harry, what all are you truly capable of without a wand" he asked.

"Mostly charms and some real light transfiguration. I'm still at a level where I have to say the incantation most times though, and I almost always have to use the motions with my hands" he replied after a few seconds of thought.

"If you think you're charming enough to get out of an ass kicking, you're wrong mister" Buffy said grinning. Score one for her, or so she thought.

"Buffy, I grew up in the magical world and I believe he may have a point. Why don't you let him try it his way and see what he is capable of" he asked. Truth be told, he was interested in seeing what a wizard of Harry's level could do magically in combat without his wand.

"Fine. But this means the gloves come off. I'm not holding back if he's not" she said as she went to the other side of the mat. Now she was pissed. This was the second time today that someone had over ruled her about Harry. Didn't everyone understand that she just didn't want to see him get hurt? She could already see the positive effect he was having on Giles. Since the dust had settled on Sunnydale, he had become withdrawn. She wasn't sure if it was because of the falling out they'd had over her leadership decisions, or the loss of the council, or both. Ever since Harry showed up though, she had started to see a glimmer of the old Giles there.

"Harry, I expect you to use a certain amount of restraint" Giles said as some of the nastier curses started to come to mind.

"To hell with that, I want to see what he's got" Buffy said a little louder than she intended as Faith came down the stairs. All of the shouting had caught her attention, and she didn't want to miss this.

"She's a bit wonky isn't she" Harry asked Giles, enjoying how riled up the slayer was getting, Before Giles could answer, however; Buffy flew through the air and tackled Harry hard, driving her shoulder into his stomach. It only took Harry a second to get his baring back and as Buffy's fist was about to pound into his head he cast a banishing charm that sent her flying off of him and into one of the wall mats. Buffy barely blinked before she was on her feet again, and preparing for the next strike against her opponent. She realized that if she let Harry get too much space between them he could probably do some damage so she closed the distance and kicked him hard on the outside of his left thigh. Now that his balance was off she followed through with a roundhouse kick that was about to connect with his head when she heard a soft popping noise and her target disappeared.

Harry reappeared behind her trying to decide on his next move. He didn't want to keep banishing her into the wall because that would only piss her off. He knew that if he was going to prove his point without getting further on her bad side he would have to let this drag out a little. At the same time, this girl packed a hell of a punch. He didn't fancy the idea of getting beat up too bad. As he was contemplating his next move she spun around and planted the palm of her hand squarely in his chest sending him flying back into the wall mats.

"Paybacks a bitch ain't it" She said as she began to advance on him again. Before she could get close enough to strike Harry shouted out "Confundo" and immediately took advantage of the loss of concentration that the slayer was temporarily suffering from to get back on his feet. He quickly shouted out "Rictumsempra" while doing an intricate movement with his hand and apparated to a spot that placed him behind her again. As soon as he materialized he shouted "Wingardium Leviosa" and the levitation charm caused her to be picked up into the air and begin floating to the ceiling.

Now Buffy was really pissed. What she couldn't understand was why she couldn't stop laughing. It felt like she was being tickled all over, and while it wasn't unpleasant, it was quickly draining her desire to fight. When Harry saw that the tickling charm was taking full effect he lowered her to the ground and placed a sticking charm right on her bum as he silently removed the tickling charm.

As soon as she caught her breath from the sudden case of the giggles, she tried to get up.

"What's the matter Buffy" Harry asked panting. "This is hardly the time to be sitting around on your bum is it, there's vampires trying to kill you" he said as he stood there trying to get the ringing in his head to quit.

Buffy continued to struggle for a minute before she finally realized that she wasn't doing any good. Sighing in defeat, she lay down on her back to think about what had just happened. On one hand he was able to keep from getting his ass kicked too badly, on the other hand she wasn't any worse for wear, just stuck to the ground.

"Okay Harry you can obviously keep from getting your ass handed to you, I'll give you that. But everything you just did was defensive. On patrol you've got to be able to kick ass, not just save it" she said in a much more reasonable voice than she had been using earlier.

Harry went over and sat down next to Buffy on the mat. Giles, realizing they may need a moment to hash this out, decided the best thing he could do would be to get Faith and head upstairs. As they were climbing the stairs Harry began to speak. "Most of what I can do wandlessly is defensive stuff" he said calmly and without a hint on condescendence in his voice. "My primary goal in that situation is to put myself in a position where I _can_ use my wand. Most curses require a lot of power, and I'm not ashamed to admit I'm not there yet. "

Buffy sat back up and looked him in the eyes. She couldn't help but notice how green they were. She had never really seen anything like them before. They also told her a silent story that this guy had seen a lot of things in his life, and that those things had left an impression. There is an almost haunted look that people get when they have lived through things that were meant to kill them. She recognized it because she saw it every time she looked in the mirror. Some people, like Faith, could cover it up with smiles and sarcasm; others displayed it proudly like a badge for the entire world to see. She got the impression that Harry couldn't hide his pain if he tried.

"You can come with us tonight" she said in spite of herself. She could understand his need to see how slayers faced vampires if things were getting as bad in England as he claimed. "But it will just be you and me this time. I'm not comfortable having any of the others along as you do this for the first time."

"Fine by me" Harry said. "A chance to go on patrol, one on one, with the legend herself. I couldn't ask for more than that." Harry stood up and silently undid the sticking charm with a grin on his face. "I just hope you don't get the idea to kick my arse again. That punch to the chest really hurt" he said as he stuck out his hand to help her up. She reluctantly took it as she realized she was not longer stuck.

"Well, I have a confession to make. I may have held back a little. If I'd have hit you full on you would still be sitting in the corner cryin' like a little bitch" she shot back with a smile that finally alleviated some of the tension in the air.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. I am humbled to be in your presence" he replied as they began to climb the stairs to go get something to drink.

"Damned skippy you are."

As they entered the kitchen Harry saw a young man standing at the counter he hadn't seen before. He was a bit taller than Harry, with dark hair and a pleasant look to him. The most defining feature about him though was the black eye patch he was wearing. The other thing that immediately stuck out like a sore thumb was that this guy was the only person in the house without an aura. He was clearly all muggle, but judging by the way everyone was reacting to his presence, he was well known and trusted.

"Welcome back Xander" buffy said as she gave him a friendly hug and headed for the sink to get a glass of water.

"Hiya Buffy, who's the new guy" he asked looking at Harry suspiciously. He was very protective of his girls after all.

Buffy turned from the sink to face the two men who were now facing each other. Harry looked a little uncomfortable while Xander had a strange expression on his face. It was part weariness, and part excitement at the prospect of having another guy around. "Xander Harris, meet Harry Potter" she said as the two shook hands and exchanged greetings. "Harry is Giles' cousin, and he's a wizard."

"A wizard you say? Well at least we have two wiccans in the house again, that should come in handy" Xander supplied as he sat back down on his stool.

"Oh I'm not a wiccan" Harry said as he filled in Xander on the differences. He showed the other man his wand and gave a brief demonstration by washing the dishes in the sink magically. Xander was suitably impressed with the man's housekeeping skills but posed a question "That must come in handy, but what else can you do?"

"Why don't we go outside in the backyard and I'll show you a few things. If you don't mind, get Rupert while I set up a few wards in the backyard so that nobody can see us. I promised to show him a few things today as well" Harry said as he headed out the back door once Xander confirmed he would be happy to get Giles.

Once outside Harry began to place several wards and spells on the property. In the backyard he placed several wards designed to keep anyone from seeing what was going on, as well as a privacy ward that kept anyone from hearing them. As Giles and Xander, along with Buffy, Faith, and Dawn came into the backyard, he conjured a target and levitated it to the far end of the yard.

"Alright Rupert, are you ready for me to give you a quick refresher on a few things" Harry asked politely.

"Yes, I have been looking forward to it all day" Giles responded with an eager look. "Where should we begin?"

"How about you make several copies of that target" Harry asked pointing to the target on the other end of the yard. "Do you remember the incantation?"

"Yes, I believe it's Geminio, is it not?"

"Sure is, and don't worry Sirius said it was like riding a bike after he escaped from Azkaban" Harry added with a smile as Giles removed his wand and cast the spell. His first attempt was unsuccessful but after Harry corrected his wand movement he was able to easily make six duplicates of the target.

"Now, use the reductor curse to destroy the targets" Harry said once they were in place. Once again he was unsuccessful on the first try but was quickly able to pick the spell back up. Things continued for several more hours like this as Harry got to know his cousin better, and Giles was given a very thorough refresher on basic spells. As they returned to the house Harry promised to loan Giles some of his spell books so that the man could begin to learn more of the things that could prove useful in his line of work.

After they were back inside the house, Harry took a shower and began preparing for his first night of patrol. He only hoped he wouldn't make a complete ass of himself.

* * *

Author's Note: I really appreciate all of the feedback I am getting on this story. It boggles my mind how many hits, favorites, and follows I get every day. As always your reviews are appreciated, and i hope that you all continue to enjoy the story.


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